Monday, August 26, 2013

Long and Short Reviews Anniversary Bash

Come visit me and other authors at the Long and Short Reviews Bash





Win an Amazon gift card and more.

Click here to be taken to the site


KDP Select through my publisher

My publisher, The Wild Rose Press, has started putting their authors books in the KDP Select program (Amazon).  This means for 90 days the book is only available through Amazon only and as an author, I get 5 free days.

When I first heard about this, I will admit to be a bit unsure about it when I received the notification about my release, it showed when it was going into KDP Select and when it would go on World-Wide sale.

Thanks to, Lisa, our wonderful marketing director, a few days before my free days, she gave us all at The Wild Rose Press a crash course in KDP Select and how to use the free days to our advantage.

Since I only had 3 days until my free days started, I reached out to other authors I know asking for quick blog spots, notified a few websites that will list your free book, and started making a list of what I needed to do during those 5 free days.

A few things I want to point out:

1. I write Erotic Romance and it is a hot sub-genre right now
2. This is my 5th book with The Wild Rose Press so it did make a difference
3. I did very little promotion for the free days because I didn't realize I need to
4. What promo I did do was a couple of blog spots, I did Facebook and Twitter for the first 3 days.

These are how my numbers looked I don't expect anyone else's to look like mine we all write different books.

Monday before my book went free I was ranked in the 495K area

Tuesday, first day free: I was out most of the day, but checked first thing in the morning and I was ranked at 5,000.  Thanks to my wonderful critique partner, she watched my rankings through the day for me, by the end of Tuesday night, my overall ranking was #74 with being #2 in Erotica.

Wednesday, second day free: Ranking started at #37 with #1 in Erotica, by the end of the day my ranking was #24 and still #1 in Erotica

Thursday, third day free: Ranking started at #34 and #2 in Erotica.  By the end of the day my ranking was #52 and still #2 in Erotica

Friday, fourth day free: Ranking started at #61 and #2 in Erotica.  By the end of the day my ranking was #91 and still #2 in Erotica

Saturday, my fifth and last day free: Ranking started at #90 and #2 in Erotica.  By the end of the day my ranking was #92 and still #2 in Erotica.

During that same time period, the rankings on my other books began to get better.  Which meant those books were now selling.

After my book went off free, my ranking of course jumped back up into the 500K range, but then went back down under 100K range and then stayed below that range even now more than a week since I went free.

I also think what really helped is when I went free I had 2 reviews, a week after I went free I had 15 reviews.  Not all of them good, but the majority were very nice.

So that is my free experience with KDP Select through my publisher.  I'm glad The Wild Rose Press gave me the opportunity to be part of this new program.

So tell me what you think about free books on Amazon?  Do you download them and never read them?  Will it get you to try a new author?

Have a great week.

Marie


Monday, August 19, 2013

When the Words Won't Flow

It's been that kind of week for me.  I sent my editor off the short story and now the words just won't flow.

I've gone back to the story I'd started before this, I had to do a bit of reading to get back into it, but the words dried up.

It's taken me days to get back into the story and I really hate that, because I have other character's wanting their stories told, but this one needs to get done first.

Always when I'm fighting a story, more ideas pop into my head and characters just want to have their time on the page.

If you're a writer how do you handle this?

If not, when you have to do something and you don't feel like it what do you do?

Have a great week.

Marie

Monday, August 12, 2013

Another Story Done

Wow, time is passing fast right now.  I just finished up another short story for Sybarite Seductions titled: Silver Screen Dom.

I've been writing this short for a while now, while life interfered with me finishing it.  Last week I finally got it off to my critique group, then turned it around in a few days, got it back to me and I finished editing it over the weekend and sent it off to my editor.

I'm happy to with the story and the characters are happy they got to tell their story.

Writing isn't easy.  I struggle everyday to get words onto paper (or into the computer) sometimes I just can't face it and others, I'm eager to dive in and write.  Many writers are like this.

I'm getting back into the "I'm eager to write" phase which is good, I have three more novella's and another short story to get done this year and there isn't much left to this year.

So tell me, what do you do when you don't want to do something?  How do you convince yourself to do the task?

Have a great week.

Marie

Monday, August 5, 2013

New Release - More Than One Night

My newest release from The Wild Rose Press - More Than One Night is now free on Amazon, it will be free from Tues. 8/6  until Sat. 8/10.



This is 5th book with The Wild Rose Press and I'm really happy about this book because it is one I wrote a couple of years ago, it's sexy and fun.  So if you have time, download it for free.  And enjoy it.

Blurb:

Bartender Beth Grant has sworn off men after yet another failed relationship, but when a friend dares her to dance with a handsome stranger, she's tempted by the fantasy. Jake turns out to be dashing, charming and very rich, everything Beth avoids. But she can't resist, and one dance turns into an evening of exquisite passion. Beth vows not to repeat a night like this, despite liking the mysterious Jake--a lot.

Successful business owner Jake Masters knows he's met his dream girl the minute he lays eyes on Beth across the crowded dance floor. But the next morning she disappears and all he has is her first name. Jake vows to go to any length to get more than one night with Beth, and when he discovers she has a jaded past, he puts his heart and soul at risk to prove he's the one.

Excerpt:

            The song wound down, but when it ended she didn’t move out of his arms. The music started once  again, and as they turned, he spied her friends  watching them with rapt attention.  
            “You’re a very beautiful woman.” Where was  this corny stuff coming from?  
            “Thank you. You’re beautiful yourself.”  
            “Men aren’t beautiful. We’re rugged,  handsome, charming, powerful—”  
            She started laughing. “Are you flirting with me,  Jake?”  
            “Yes, is that okay?” Now he was into the dorky  stage, asking permission, but that’s how he was taught to treat a lady.  
            “Absolutely, flirt away.” She laid her head on  his shoulder once again. He was aware of her body  against his, with each sway of their hips their groins  brushed. His erection was apparent, but she wasn’t  pulling away. He took it as a sign she wanted to be  with him.  
            Her breath was warm and moist against his  neck. He moved his hand up her back and tunneled  beneath her hair, holding her head in place as his  lips nudged her hair away from her ear.  
            “I know what I want from you, but do you  know what you want from me?” she asked.  
            “I want to kiss you,” he said, because he  couldn’t have stopped the words from emerging if  God himself had clamped his lips shut. “All over. All night long.”



Click here to download the book from Amazon

To check out my other books click here for my website